


turning

by pastelskrulls



Series: the gang kills teddy [1]
Category: Marvel, Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Prologue to among the stars, depictions of gore, my bad :////
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-30 03:57:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14488296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastelskrulls/pseuds/pastelskrulls
Summary: Billy’s life changes in one moment.





	turning

**Author's Note:**

> i am so emo

Wanda was lying in the forest floor when Billy got to her. The extravagant wedding dress she wore spilled into a pool of fabric beneath her. She looked exhausted. Confused. He could hardly blame her, with the Avengers and what remained of the X-men gunning for her, she had every right. And she couldn’t even remember why. He sat down next to her, catching his breath. It was times like these that he envied Tommy.

Wanda looked scared.

It was strange, seeing his hero like this. Seeing the Scarlet Witch like this. She looked so different from that day she talked to him in the park, convinced him to stand up for himself. He wondered if that was dramatic irony. He wasn’t sure, racking his brain for any 9th grade English classes.

There was a snap through the trees, interrupting his thoughts. He only had half a second to spin around, standing to take a battle stance in front of Wanda, before Wolverine came running at them. He was a lot shorter in person, Billy noticed. That thought was the only thing keeping back the panic as the man ran forwards, claws unsheathed.

“No!” Someone yelled. Before Billy could react, throw up a shield, do anything to protect the prone, practically civilian behind him, Teddy leapt in front of him.

Billy had a full view as Wolverine’s claws cut into Teddy’s neck, separating it from the rest of his body. His head toppled down, splattering the green grass crimson. Billy couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. He raised a shield, a perimeter between Wolverine and his boyfriend, and dropped to his knees. He could hear Wanda choking on her breath behind him, but all he could think was teddyteddyteddy. He reached his hand out, fingers shaking as he brushed the hair away, cradling Teddy’s severed head in his palm.

This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t possible. His powers could’ve stopped this. Should’ve stopped it. His throat was raw, ears bleeding. It took him a moment to realize it was from his screams.

“IwanthimbackIwanthimbackIwanthimbackIwanthimbackIwanthimback,” he poured all his power, all his energy, into the words. Blue light sprung from his fingertips, lifting his heart for a moment, before fizzling out, blowing away in the wind. “No! No no no no no!”

The shield had collapsed long ago, but Wolverine didn’t move. Seemed frozen. Billy let himself fall forward, head resting on Teddy’s now blood soaked chest. “Teddy,” he cried. “Teddy, please, no!” A hand landed on his shoulder and began pulling him away. “No! I can save him! Let me save him!” The arms kept pulling.

“Billy,” Eli said. His voice was soft and heavy with tears. “It’s too late, I’m sorry. He’s,” he trailed off.

Billy could feel everyone’s eyes, trained on him like a bomb. He knew Wanda was standing behind him, hesitant and nervous, gown stained red. Red from Teddy. Oh God. A sob fell from his mouth, loud and choking, the only noise in the quiet forest. Everyone was waiting for him to explode, but instead he pulled his knees up to his chest, burying himself in the wet, warm fabric of his cape. Warm with Teddy. Warm with something he would never have again.

People started moving around him, the Avengers and X-men chasing after Doom. He stayed, curled into a ball on the forest floor, only a few yards away from Teddy’s body, surrounded by Young Avengers. He could hear them talking, crying, mourning. But none of it made sense anymore. The cacophony of grief, all faded together.

Eventually, someone grabbed him under the armpits, heaving him into a standing position. Tommy was on his right, moving slowly for the first time since Billy met him, and Kate was on his left, holding him up, one arm wrapped carefully around his waist.

“We- we need his,” body. He choked on the word, couldn’t bring himself to say it, but they understood. He closed his eyes, blocking out the image of Teddy’s disconnected head resting in the grass.

He wished he were home. He wished he were home, with Teddy by his side, watching old Batman cartoons and reading comics. When he opened his eyes again, he was in his bed, alone.

“Teddy!” he knew it was hopeless. He knew that the pounding footsteps running to his room were never going to be Teddy again. But when the door swung open to reveal Kate, Eli, and Cassie, he couldn’t help the crumbling he felt in his chest. They were staring at him, pity and grief swirling on their faces, and he was sure it was real.

Kate sat down on his bed, followed by Cassie and a tentative Eli. Kate pulled him in and started stroking his hair. Her shirt was soft, warm like it had just come out of the dryer. He dug his fingers into it, trying his best not to sob, to scream, to do anything. He hiccuped into her shoulder, grasping tighter, searching for an anchor.

“Billy,” she said. Her voice was thick with sadness. “It’s okay to cry.”

He nodded, letting himself break. He sat there, surrounded by his friends, but so, so alone. Soon they were gone, and he was left to stare out the window at the city passing below him. He wished desperately that he could stay here, that he would never have to think about what had happened ever again.

Above him, the stars shone, somehow duller than before.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr at scarrletwiccan


End file.
